Princess cake

Prinsesstårta

A Swedish classic, this cake is the perfect celebration cake and is something very different to a traditional layer cake. A cake with a long history, it first appeared in print in 1948 and became known as Princess Cake because the Swedish Princesses of the time were said to be fans of the cake. It is so popular in Sweden that there is even an official Prinsesstårta week. Edd Kimber

Custard

To finish

150 g

(5 oz)

raspberries

480 ml

(2 cups)

double (heavy) cream

1 tbsp

icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)

1 tsp

vanilla extract

500 g

(1 lb)

marzipan

green food colouring

Method

1. Start by making the custard filling. Place the milk into a medium pan and bring to a boil over medium/high heat. Whilst coming to temperature place the yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour into a bowl and whisk together until smooth. When boiling, pour the milk slowly over the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the custard back into the pan and whisk constantly until the custard is bubbling and has thickened. Pour the custard back into the bowl and press cling film onto the surface of the custard to prevent it developing a skin. Place in the fridge until needed.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F, gas 4, fan 160°C). Grease a deep 20 cm (8”) round cake pan and dust with flour. Line the base of the pan with parchment paper and set aside.

3. For the sponge layers place the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract into a large heatproof bowl and place over a bowl of simmering water. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Remove from the heat and using an electric mixer whisk for 5 minutes until pale, thick and tripled in size. Sieve over the flour and carefully fold together, trying to keep as much volume as possible. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently level out. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until risen and golden. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To assemble the cake use a serrated knife to slice the sponge into two even layers. Spread the custard over one of the sponge layers and top with the raspberries. Place the second sponge layer on top and set aside. Whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla together until it holds stiff peaks. Place the cream on top of the cake and using a palette knife spread it over the cake to create a domed effect. To finish the cake take the marzipan and knead in a little green food colouring, kneading until the colour is even. Dust the worksurface with a little icing sugar and roll out the marzipan until big enough to cover the cake. Gently drape the marzipan over the cake and smooth down the sides of the cake and trim off the excess. Best served within a few hours of assembling.

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